The long-awaited PJ Harvey tour documentary STORIES FROM THE ROAD was by far my favourite feature shown in the 17th London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. There were a lot of special and unique movies screened this year, but none has lingered in my mind afterwards with as much bittersweet poignance as this one.

STORIES FROM THE ROAD is directed by first-time filmmaker Kyle Keyser with the help of his two travelling companions Amanda and Bill, who tracked Polly Jean around the globe for six months during her 2001 world tour for her masterpiece album STORIES FROM THE CITY, STORIES FROM THE SEA (hence the title). The film focuses on the desperate plight of these three devoted fans to make contact with their beloved icon against the overwhelming odds: from cancelled gigs and equipment failure to their own (rather hilariously depicted) amateurism.

As a huge PJ Harvey fan myself, I had expected an entertaining glimpse into the touring life of my favourite rock songstress. Instead I got a painfully moving, incisive and laugh-out-loud funny account of the unbridgeable chasm that forever separates fans from their idols, and the relentless lengths to which the former will often go to pursue their dream. This element gives the film a nailbiting, palm-sweating suspense as we root for Kyle and co to get up close and personal with the lovely Polly (a notoriously private and press-shy artist who rarely grants interviews and is known for shunning the celebrity spotlight at all costs). We rejoice in their triumph as they first manage to gain access to a live show, cringe in vicarious embarrassment when they inadvertently bump into her in a particularly unglamorous lavatory, and feel their heartbreaking pain as our own when they gradually realise that establishing any realistic connection with the elusive Polly is very unlikely.

Mix in some astoundingly terrific live music from PJ and her cracking band, and you have the finest rockumentary in quite some time. All we need now is a broader release, as the film is currently in distribution limbo due to issues around licensing the music used. Hopefully a few more screenings at other film festivals will gain this little gem of a movie the attention it so richly deserves!